Country : Québec Label : Kill Rock Stars Genres and styles : Art Rock / J-Rock / psychédélique Year : 2023

TEKE::TEKE – Hagata

· by Varun Swarup

If you’re feeling like there is little new under the sun, you would do well to look east and listen to TEKE::TEKE. First formed by guitarist Serge Nakauchi-Pelletier as a tribute to Takeshi Terauchi, a pioneer of eleki, a sort of Japanese surf-rock that started to catch on in the 1960’s, TEKE::TEKE soon found their stride with the addition of singer Maya Kuroki and arrived at a sound that was boldly their own.

With the release of their first LP, Shirushiso, two years ago, this seven-piece outfit from Montreal didn’t just make waves, but effectively cannonballed onto the scene with their explosive blend of eleki, art-rock, and Japanese folk music. Hagata, the group’s much awaited sophomore release, sees the group diving from yet greater heights and they stick the landing gracefully. 

Hagata begins with ‘Garakuta’, an explosive number that places the listener in a swirling soundscape of traditional Japanese instrumentation that traverses genres like garage-rock, art-rock, big band, film music, and psychedelia. TEKE::TEKE don’t necessarily tread new ground, but manage to create novelty by combining traditional and contemporary forms in otherwise unexpected and satisfying ways. Take the sixth track ‘Doppelganger’ for instance, which boldly takes on the ‘Western’ theme and imbues it with a strong umami flavour,  making it a solid contender for the Kill Bill soundtrack. 

As a seven-piece, the band have a broad sonic palette to work with, making for plenty of dramatic moments and cinematic textures throughout the album. Really each song seems to be a self-contained soundtrack unto itself, but the album is delightfully consistent in terms of quality and in terms of creating a satisfying narrative arc from start to finish. “Setagaya Koya” is another highlight which is a clever take on the 70’s cop thriller.

Through their outlandishness and Noh-inspired theatrics, TEKE::TEKE raise some very real questions here, of environmental catastrophe, and of identity. While the album carries a sense of familiarity, fans of their previous work will be very pleased by the band’s evolution and willingness to push the envelope just a bit further here. Hagata is above all an exercise in joy and creativity.

Latest 360 Content

Festival du Monde Arabe 2024 | Malika Zarra, ‘the Jewel of Moroccan jazz’, who also draws on châabi, gnawa and Berber traditions.

Festival du Monde Arabe 2024 | Malika Zarra, ‘the Jewel of Moroccan jazz’, who also draws on châabi, gnawa and Berber traditions.

Cordâme – Déesses mythiques

Cordâme – Déesses mythiques

Bruce Liu – Tchaïkovsky : The Seasons

Bruce Liu – Tchaïkovsky : The Seasons

Laila Biali – Wintersongs

Laila Biali – Wintersongs

OktoEcho – Saimaniq Sivumut

OktoEcho – Saimaniq Sivumut

No Codes – Usual Suspects

No Codes – Usual Suspects

Christopher Whitley – Almost as Soft as Silence

Christopher Whitley – Almost as Soft as Silence

Zach Zoya in California | Still Sunny in Glendale but…

Zach Zoya in California | Still Sunny in Glendale but…

Angèle Dubeau on Her Forced Retirement as A Violinist

Angèle Dubeau on Her Forced Retirement as A Violinist

Gus Englehorn – One Eyed Jack Trilogy

Gus Englehorn – One Eyed Jack Trilogy

Brown Family | Greg Beaudin Talks About the 3rd Aalbum, Durags and Broken Hearts

Brown Family | Greg Beaudin Talks About the 3rd Aalbum, Durags and Broken Hearts

Festival du Monde Arabe 2024 | Creation of an opera about Sainte-Marine the Disguised, the 5th-century woman who lived as a monk

Festival du Monde Arabe 2024 | Creation of an opera about Sainte-Marine the Disguised, the 5th-century woman who lived as a monk

OSL | Rencontre(s) au sommet with Antoine Bareil and Adam Johnson

OSL | Rencontre(s) au sommet with Antoine Bareil and Adam Johnson

OSM | Sublime Sibelius !

OSM | Sublime Sibelius !

PHI Centre | Lia Kuri Talks and Sings about Mother, Mother Earth… Motherland

PHI Centre | Lia Kuri Talks and Sings about Mother, Mother Earth… Motherland

We Are Wolves | They’re Older, but… They’re Still Wolves!

We Are Wolves | They’re Older, but… They’re Still Wolves!

Malasartes | Cultural Blending According to Noubi

Malasartes | Cultural Blending According to Noubi

Malasartes | Kleyn Kabaret or how to revive and update Yiddish through music

Malasartes | Kleyn Kabaret or how to revive and update Yiddish through music

Annie Saumier talks about the OSM 2024 Competition

Annie Saumier talks about the OSM 2024 Competition

Pinnacle of Modern Choral Music at the Azrieli Music Prizes

Pinnacle of Modern Choral Music at the Azrieli Music Prizes

OSL | Antoine Bareil Plays Mendelssohn’s Famous Violin Concerto

OSL | Antoine Bareil Plays Mendelssohn’s Famous Violin Concerto

Arab World Festival of Montreal | Narcy and Omar Offendum: Two Decades of Friendship in Artistry

Arab World Festival of Montreal | Narcy and Omar Offendum: Two Decades of Friendship in Artistry

Örjan Sandred and the Stenhammar Quartet Reinvent Live Electronics

Örjan Sandred and the Stenhammar Quartet Reinvent Live Electronics

Subscribe to our newsletter